Wonka rushes for 223 yards in Oxford win

OXFORD – A big defensive play at the end of the first half gave Oxford momentum, and the Blackhawks wore UV-Edmeston out with their running game in a 28-19 win Monday night.

It was the first win this season for Oxford and first-year head coach Ray Dayton. Each team threw for a pair of touchdowns in the first half, but it was almost strictly a ground attack – headed up by junior running back Paul Wonka – that sealed the win for the host team.

“We just pounded the ball off tackle, and our line did a great job up front,” Dayton said. “Nick Wakefield, Corey Olsen, Spyros Spyratos, Brett Hufnagle, Justin Harding, and our tight ends, Paul Martin and Joe Jackson, they did the job tonight, and they’re what makes us go.”

Before the ground game heated up, it was the combination of Shawn McKee and Jarrid Shephard on defense that completed a 21-point second period for Oxford. With seconds ticking down in the first half, UV-E quarterback Brandon Miles had his pass deflected by an oncoming McKee. Shephard was on the spot to retrieve the loose ball, and he raced 42 seconds for the score with just 5.2 seconds left on the clock.